Bubba Bronko
02-14-2009, 05:49 AM
DIEGO GUNNING FOR PENN, FLORIAN AND SHERK
Saturday, February 14, 2009 - by Damon Martin - MMAWeekly.com
http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/articlefiles/8170-SanchezFioravanti123TUF7.jpg
At UFC 95, former "Ultimate Fighter" winner Diego Sanchez will make his long awaited debut at 155 pounds, but the California based fighter is wasting no time in stepping into the deep end of the pool of lightweights. He will face Joe Stevenson at UFC 95, and he's quick to add that his goal is B.J. Penn and the UFC lightweight championship.
Working for years since his time on the Spike TV reality show to get a shot at the welterweight crown, Sanchez decided it was the best time and place for him to drop weight classes and make a run at the lightweight title before moving back up to 170 and going for the gold there as well.
While he has no problem facing Joe Stevenson in his first fight out, he actually had another fight in mind when the UFC came calling to place him in his first 155-pound contest.
"I asked for Kenny Florian right out of the gate. They gave me Joe Stevenson, but it's all good," Sanchez told MMAWeekly Radio recently. "I can consider it a better fight beating Joe Stevenson. It's the Ultimate Fighter winner, the original Ultimate Fighter winner season 1 versus season 2 Ultimate Fighter winner. We go back to King of the Cage days together and it's a great fight for me, I'm excited."
Sanchez and Florian have a history together from their time spent on the Ultimate Fighter season 1 and, of course, their fight to determine the first ever TUF champion. Sanchez would go on to win by TKO in the first round of that fight. He understands that the Florian he would face now is a completely different fighter, but he believes history would repeat itself.
"Kenny Florian's there and Kenny Florian, he's a great fighter himself, he's came a long way and we all improved," Sanchez stated. So for people to say, 'Oh, Diego Sanchez beat Kenny Florian, that was a long time ago.' Yeah, that was a long time ago, but we've all improved, we've all evolved, and if anything I think I have evolved more than Kenny Florian.
"He has great Muay Thai, but when it comes down to our fight, it's the same fight. I'm not going to fight a counter fighter like Kenny Florian the way Roger Huerta fought Kenny Florian. You've got to be smart. Same way I fought him the first time. You wait and it's going to present itself, and that fight is just a good fight."
The ultimate goal for Sanchez is a shot at the UFC lightweight title, which is currently held by B.J. Penn, but the New Mexico native is unsure that the champion is ready to face him or Kenny Florian for that matter.
"That's the fight," he said about facing B.J. Penn. "I don't know what's going through B.J.'s mind right now, but I know definitely coming off that loss the way he did, it would be a bad time for him to fight either me or Kenny. We're on top of our game right now, and after everything he talked about GSP and then going out there the way he did. I'd have a lot more confidence going into a fight with B.J. Penn (now) than I would have before."
In the fight with St. Pierre, Penn struggled to get out from underneath the Canadian champion, who smothered him with takedowns and ground and pound for the better of four rounds en route to a TKO victory. Sanchez says cardio played a major factor in the fight and he knows he can implement the same strategy if and when he faces Penn.
"I've always thought of B.J. Penn as someone who tires out," he commented. "Even after the Joe Stevenson fight he could barely stand up. He gets tired. I don't know if he doesn't train hard or if he trains hard, but he still tires out. I'm like the exact opposite.
"That's been a dream match-up for me and now with improved striking, I'd love to fight B.J. Penn. That's who I'm gunning for. That's who I'm coming after."
With Penn as champion and Florian as the No. 1 contender, Sanchez admits that there's actually another name out there that he would want to face if given the chance to prove he's the best lightweight in the UFC.
"I want to be know for being able to fight in both weight classes. Cause after this fight, I'm still going to go back to my regular routine lifting weights, getting strong, and in my opinion the No. 1 guy at 155 is Sean Sherk and he's called me out already, so that's another possible fight," he commented.
Whether it's Sean Sherk, Kenny Florian or B.J. Penn, Diego Sanchez has no problem facing any of the top contenders, but first he has to get by Joe Stevenson at UFC 95.
Saturday, February 14, 2009 - by Damon Martin - MMAWeekly.com
http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/articlefiles/8170-SanchezFioravanti123TUF7.jpg
At UFC 95, former "Ultimate Fighter" winner Diego Sanchez will make his long awaited debut at 155 pounds, but the California based fighter is wasting no time in stepping into the deep end of the pool of lightweights. He will face Joe Stevenson at UFC 95, and he's quick to add that his goal is B.J. Penn and the UFC lightweight championship.
Working for years since his time on the Spike TV reality show to get a shot at the welterweight crown, Sanchez decided it was the best time and place for him to drop weight classes and make a run at the lightweight title before moving back up to 170 and going for the gold there as well.
While he has no problem facing Joe Stevenson in his first fight out, he actually had another fight in mind when the UFC came calling to place him in his first 155-pound contest.
"I asked for Kenny Florian right out of the gate. They gave me Joe Stevenson, but it's all good," Sanchez told MMAWeekly Radio recently. "I can consider it a better fight beating Joe Stevenson. It's the Ultimate Fighter winner, the original Ultimate Fighter winner season 1 versus season 2 Ultimate Fighter winner. We go back to King of the Cage days together and it's a great fight for me, I'm excited."
Sanchez and Florian have a history together from their time spent on the Ultimate Fighter season 1 and, of course, their fight to determine the first ever TUF champion. Sanchez would go on to win by TKO in the first round of that fight. He understands that the Florian he would face now is a completely different fighter, but he believes history would repeat itself.
"Kenny Florian's there and Kenny Florian, he's a great fighter himself, he's came a long way and we all improved," Sanchez stated. So for people to say, 'Oh, Diego Sanchez beat Kenny Florian, that was a long time ago.' Yeah, that was a long time ago, but we've all improved, we've all evolved, and if anything I think I have evolved more than Kenny Florian.
"He has great Muay Thai, but when it comes down to our fight, it's the same fight. I'm not going to fight a counter fighter like Kenny Florian the way Roger Huerta fought Kenny Florian. You've got to be smart. Same way I fought him the first time. You wait and it's going to present itself, and that fight is just a good fight."
The ultimate goal for Sanchez is a shot at the UFC lightweight title, which is currently held by B.J. Penn, but the New Mexico native is unsure that the champion is ready to face him or Kenny Florian for that matter.
"That's the fight," he said about facing B.J. Penn. "I don't know what's going through B.J.'s mind right now, but I know definitely coming off that loss the way he did, it would be a bad time for him to fight either me or Kenny. We're on top of our game right now, and after everything he talked about GSP and then going out there the way he did. I'd have a lot more confidence going into a fight with B.J. Penn (now) than I would have before."
In the fight with St. Pierre, Penn struggled to get out from underneath the Canadian champion, who smothered him with takedowns and ground and pound for the better of four rounds en route to a TKO victory. Sanchez says cardio played a major factor in the fight and he knows he can implement the same strategy if and when he faces Penn.
"I've always thought of B.J. Penn as someone who tires out," he commented. "Even after the Joe Stevenson fight he could barely stand up. He gets tired. I don't know if he doesn't train hard or if he trains hard, but he still tires out. I'm like the exact opposite.
"That's been a dream match-up for me and now with improved striking, I'd love to fight B.J. Penn. That's who I'm gunning for. That's who I'm coming after."
With Penn as champion and Florian as the No. 1 contender, Sanchez admits that there's actually another name out there that he would want to face if given the chance to prove he's the best lightweight in the UFC.
"I want to be know for being able to fight in both weight classes. Cause after this fight, I'm still going to go back to my regular routine lifting weights, getting strong, and in my opinion the No. 1 guy at 155 is Sean Sherk and he's called me out already, so that's another possible fight," he commented.
Whether it's Sean Sherk, Kenny Florian or B.J. Penn, Diego Sanchez has no problem facing any of the top contenders, but first he has to get by Joe Stevenson at UFC 95.